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The city of Vesper had stopped pretending monsters were the worst thing lurking beyond its walls. The dungeons had changed that centuries ago. Every month another Gate would rip open somewhere across the continent, pouring creatures of stone, bone, and nightmare into the world. Hunters were the only ones capable of clearing them—people born or gifted with supernatural Gifts awakened by mana.
Some became heroes. Others became monsters wearing medals. And some… Some became wanted posters. Every Hunter Guild kept a board. One side held dungeon requests. The other held faces. Hunters who had murdered civilians. Hunters who had sold artifacts to cults. Hunters who had betrayed their own teams inside Gates. The reward for bringing them in alive was generous. The reward for bringing them back dead wasn’t much smaller.
Elias Voss was exceptionally good at collecting both. He stood well over six feet, broad-shouldered beneath a weathered black coat that had seen too many winters and too many battlefields. Silver streaked through dark hair. A scar crossed one eyebrow and a cigarette in his mouth. Golden brown eyes scanned a wanted poster with practiced calm.
Kieran Holt.
Rank A Hunter.
Thirty-four confirmed murders.
“Alive preferred.”
4 million REWARD.
Elias sighed. “They always write that.”
Across the room his partner looked up from his paperwork. Leon Ashford was nearly ten years younger, Twenty-four, Dark hair, Clear gray eyes and a pleasant smile that made civilians trust him almost instantly. Unlike Elias, Leon looked approachable. Like the kind older ladies invited inside for tea while talking about how they want to match-make him with their own children. Which made it even funnier whenever monsters exploded after Leon casually punched them. “Going after Holt?” Leon asked while swiping through documents with a raised eyebrow.
Elias nodded taking a long drag of his cigarette before speaking again. “Should be simple enough.” Leon smiled getting up and putting his jacket on. “I’ll prepare the truck then.”
Three hours later…
The abandoned church was empty. Mostly. There was blood, broken pews and several walls looked like they’d been punched through by something enormous. And in the middle… Kieran Holt. Dead. His body rested almost neatly against the altar. His weapons were gone. Both hands folded over his chest as if praying. Someone had even closed his eyes.
Elias stared. “…Again, Dammit this is the sixth time this has happened this month.” Leon tilted his head looking down at the corpse. “Looks like someone beat us here again.” “They always do.” Elias sighed lighting another cigarette with an annoyed expression. Leon crouched beside the corpse examining it a bit. “No signs of torture...doesn't look like any blood or anything but his weapons were taken."
“No.” Elias was pissed to say the least. Over these past few months every person he's gone after has appeared like this. Dead! Deader then dead! And Elias didn't even get a chance to fight them! God he was getting old.
“Quick kill.” Leon said while turning the body looking at the wound sight. “Clearly.” Elias said glancing around the room a bit more. Nothing was there. “No valuables taken either.” Leon sighed taking his gloves off and standing up. “Nope.”
Leon looked genuinely thoughtful. “Maybe another bounty hunter got to him?” Elias folded his arms. “No. Can't be.”
“Why not?” Leon asked looking at Elias confused a bit smoke curling around his face from Elias's cigarette. Elias sighed putting his cigarette out. “They’re cleaning them.” Elias stated. Leon blinked looking down at the bloody body.“…Cleaning?” Elias huffed explaining further. “They’re arranging bodies. The hand placements and eyes. Bounty Hunters don't do that. Besides they left the body, why leave money on the ground when you could pick it up.” Silence enveloped them. “…That’s weird.” Leon started glancing down at the body again. “It is.” Elias said yawning stretching his arms before throwing the body over his shoulder. Leon raises an eyebrow, "What are you doing?" Elias smirked the body over his shoulder starting to walk out. "Free money is free money, I won't say no when it was handed to me on a silver platter."
It wasn’t just weird. It was becoming personal. Hunter after hunter. Criminal after criminal. Every time Elias accepted a case… The target vanished. Dead. Captured. Tied neatly with expensive enchanted rope. Sometimes unconscious. Sometimes missing fingers. But there was something new they started always coming with a note. -For Captain Voss.
Nothing else. No signature. No demands. No reward claimed.
Finally the Guild Master had enough and called him and Leon in.
Guild Master Rowan rubbed his forehead. “So…”
Elias nodded.“…Yes.”
“The invisible vigilante struck again?” Rowan asked raising an eyebrow.
“We are not calling them that.” Elias said roughly sitting on the couch opposite the Guild Masters seat. Crossing his arms while grumbling. He was upset. Leon was smiling a bit strained patting Elias's shoulder.
Rowan sighed.while “I don’t know whether to arrest whoever’s doing this or promote them.” Rowan went through some forms of all the people the mysterious person has caught. “They’re unstable.” Elias said bluntly finally looking at Rowan. “They’re efficient-” Rowan started. “They’re stalking my assignments.” Elias said interrupted.“That too.” The Guild Leader Rowan sighed again.
Leon quietly sipped his coffee. “…Maybe they’re your fan." Elias snapped his head looking at him. “My what?” Leon looked away not meeting Elias's creepy glare sipping his coffee. “They admire you...” Leon repeated. “I hope not.” Elias said bluntly Leon smiled behind his mug. “…Me too.”
Weeks passed.Then months. The mystery only deepened. Until hunters started whispering.
“The Ghost Hound.”
“The Executioner.”
“The Collector.”
Nobody had ever seen them. Nobody survived fighting them. Wanted hunters disappeared overnight some surrendered voluntarily after hearing rumors, others simply…Stopped existing.
One evening after a tiring day of work Leon returned home with a sigh. God he was in a bad mood. His apartment was immaculate. Plants watered. Books alphabetized.Shoes perfectly aligned. He removed his gloves. Washed his hands. Changed clothes. Then unlocked the hidden basement beneath his apartment. Steel stairs descended into darkness.
The room below looked nothing like the cheerful apartment upstairs. Weapons lined every wall. Maps. Photographs. Newspaper clippings. Hundreds… No… Thousands… Of photographs. Every single one… Of Elias Voss his lovely Captain. Different years. Different missions. Laughing. Sleeping during long stakeouts. Drinking coffee. Training. Even adjusting his tie.
Leon smiled warmly. “…Good evening, Captain.” He gently dusted one photograph stroking it with his thumb. “I solved today’s problem for you.” Another picture was picked up gently wiped down. “I hope you’re proud.” Another. “You looked tired this morning. I should get you a coffee tomorrow.” He laughed softly looking down at the photo in hand smiling stroking the frame. “So I handled it.” he put the photo back on the table. Turning around on the center of the wall… Was the newest wanted poster Elias had looked at. A red X crossed over the criminal’s face. Mission complete. Before Elias had even arrived. He;d never approve of what Leon was doing, the captain tended to be soft around Leon, not that Leon minded, he found his captain adorable.
Leon sat in a chair facing the photographs. “I know. You’d tell me not to kill. You’d say procedures exist. You’d give me that disappointed look.” He smiled imagining it leaning down on his hands dreamily sighing with a smile. “So I won't let you see. I’ll stay your adorable junior." Leon smiling imagining so many things, Captain petting his head, holding him tightly, protecting him. Opening his eyes he sat back up sighing before getting up and stretching his back. Grabbing a picture kissing the corner of it while saying " Sweet dreams Captain. Before moving back up the stares and his room falling asleep.
Upstairs… His apartment door remained locked. Windows closed. No signs of intrusion. Leon slept peacefully. Completely unaware… Someone had entered anyway.
Elias had come to drop something off, and noticed the basment. All the times he's come over he'd never gone down there. Thinking nothing of it he decided to explore. Rubbing the stubble on his chin a bit he went down the stairs. He stood silently inside the basement. Hidden in the darkness. His expression never changed once. Not when he saw the shrine. Not when he counted hundreds of photographs. Not when he realized… Every wanted hunter disappeared the day after Leon quietly asked where he was going. Leon…
His sweet, gentle, smiling partner was the Ghost Hound. He almost couldn't believe it...almost. “…Interesting.” Elias’s voice was barely above a whisper picking up a photo of himself that had marker marks covering the other people in the photos face, so only Elias was seen. Elias looked around again walking more seeing a notebook, detailed schedules, his own coffee preferences, favorite whiskey, old injuries, medical records, even measurements for replacement coats. “Wow…You’ve done your homework.” His eyes drifted toward another board. Names. Hundreds of names. Some crossed out. Some highlighted. Some circled in black. Every circled name had written beneath it— Potential threat to Captain Voss.
One name simply read—
Guild Receptionist.
Reason:
“She smiled at him too long.”
Elias nearly laughed. Nearly. Instead… He quietly took one photograph from the other wall. It showed himself smiling after a successful dungeon raid. On the back… Leon had written. He smiled today with the exact joke that had been said. What detail Elias thought raising an eyebrow. “…You’re insane.” Elias muttered and carefully returned the picture exactly where it had been. Then… He noticed another notebook. One labeled— Future. He opened it. Retirement House. Mountain. Large kitchen. Captain likes coffee. Need bigger garden. Maybe dog. Maybe three dogs. Convince him gently. “…” Elias closed the notebook. His heartbeat remained steady if anything… He looked somewhat…Amused before setting the book back down. He'd seen enough. He quietly left. Locking everything exactly as he’d found it. Deciding to just give the documents to Leon tomorrow when they saw each other.
The next morning…Leon smiled brightly walking into the office with two coffees. “Morning, Captain!” Elias accepted the coffee Leon handed him. “…Morning.” Elais took a sip nodding at the taste. “You seem happier today.” Leon sat by him sipping his own coffee grabbing the documents Elias had handed him. “I slept well.” Elias said looking back down at some papers. “I’m glad.” Leon beamed fiddling a bit before asking. “So…What case today?” Leon asked looking at Elias. Elias watched him carefully. Then smiled, a tiny smile. One almost nobody ever saw. Leon's heart ached at the smiling calming himself down as the Captain spoke. “We’re hunting Victor Crane.” Leon nodded enthusiastically getting up and grabbing the truck keys. “I’ll get the truck ready.”
That evening… Victor Crane was found unconscious. Gift-wrapped. Outside Guild Headquarters. A neat little card sat on top. For Captain Voss. This time…There was another line beneath it. Please don’t work too hard. Elias looked toward the city skyline puffing cigarette smoke out with a huff and a tiny smirk Knowing exactly who had left it. “…Cute.” Maybe he was crazy for finding this attractive...wow he really did need therapy? Maybe he should listen to Rowan a bit more. Elias picked the body up huffing as his back popped time to go get the Bounty maybe he is getting too old for this, he'd have to think of Leon's retirement plan a bit more. He left with a smirk and a half burnt cigarette still in his mouth.
Nearby… Hidden atop another rooftop… Leon watched through binoculars. His cheeks turned slightly pink. “…He smiled.” He pressed a hand over his racing heart turning and giggling like a school girl with a crush breathing heavy smiling. “He liked it! I'll have to catch more of them in the future! Maybe he'll even praise me!" Leon got up quickly leaving.